Miss Read, it's been so busy, that I have not been reading. I've missed you! 

(Wrote this on social media this AM):

Do you see Cleo? She had stomach upset before I was up *on the couch where I sit* and let's just say I have laundry to do and that she did not get her morning treat! In this picture she is "begging".... I love her, but that was not OK! Sigh. She is still by me, waiting. .... oh Cleo!!!! 

***

Needless to say, she did not get a treat this morning! 

She seems better now and I gave her a small treat this afternoon...

This, if you are interested in dishes, is the goblet I ordered 6 more of from IKEA.

I hope they come on time. I don't have any tracking/shipping info yet...

They are made in France and I quite love them.

I lit a tealight on the incense burner and it smells, quite literally, heavenly.

I went to the mall with one of my friends!

We had a nice lunch together and went shopping...

I found what I hope will be good socks for my Sweetie.

Maybe not the most 'exciting' thing (though I was always happy 

if I was given new socks!) but they were needed and I hope

the mostly cotton with some nylon and NO polyester will be a good

option... I am planning on giving him one pair set next week for 

St Nicholas day so he can try them out... 

I also got...

I love these comfortable warmth producing layers!

The thin 'silky' ones are modal which is a type of rayon.

When I googled the word 'modal' it says that it wicks really well

and does not retain moisture. I think that is true in my experience.

I really like this brand though I was sad to see they were made in China;

I have nothing against China, in that it has a very illustrious history,

hundreds of years longer, I believe, in known history than much of ours.

But my understanding of the suffering, great poverty and poor conditions of many

makes me wish to buy from other places if I can.

I have had and have various Chinese friends who I value very much,

so it's not that I have a dislike of the actual persons of China as much as I know

that the hands that made my garments may be suffering a lot.

But a lot of new things are made in countries where one does not know

the conditions of the workers and that is really difficult.

I don't feel that I can find everything I wear at thrift stores

and well, I buy new at times, and don't really see another way to go about that;

esp. as I don't have time to sew all of my own clothes, etc.

So I try to pray for the hands of those who made my clothes,

to not just think of my clothes as 'mine' without a history but that 

men and women made it, possible with suffering and a poor wage.

So prayer is the only way I know that I can feasibly repay them for making 

things for me to wear that bless me so much in terms of 

staying warm, comfortable and in modest clothes that I find delightful. 

I wrote this also earlier on social media...

"So, I went to the mall with a friend. ... 

bought some new fleece and silk like liners for extra warmth, 

got home and realized, when talking to my Mom, 

that I bought the wrong size. So I went back. 

Meanwhile I tried my new lip butter, my lips had been painfully cracked 

and the minute I used it, they were so MUCH better, like no more pain better. 

So I went back, the store was honouring website prices/sales 

so the lip butters were 3$ each. I went to buy them, 

they put in my rewards info and I got 10$ more off!

 So these cost 7$ ! YAY! And my lips are finally feeling better!"

I am really relieved.

I was using everything I had at home and nothing was helping

so very happy about this...

Cleo missed me while I was away from about 11 AM - 5 PM with a bit of time

at home between mall trips ... she is sitting on my lap here :)

***

We are reading Tolkien's letters out loud before bed and really enjoying them!

The one above we found to be so delightfully funny!

The word 'crassitude" seems so perfect to describe what

can be either very difficult or that which is very dreary and perhaps dirty.

Just seems to be a good word to describe some things on this fallen planet of ours. 

This letter Tolkien is writing to his son Christopher who was then

in South Africa during WWII.

***

I can't tell you how delightful we are finding Tolkien's letters.

His fine use of words and language, his deeply Christian sensibilities and perceptions,

the beauty of his writing, the pathos and suffering he has as well.

Often I will finish reading them out loud for the night and

we will be feeling a mixture of deep appreciation, awe and delight at his writing.

My Husband said he finds these minutes of my reading to be very comforting

and I think, by what he said, a source of light in what is often

hard days for him, for us, in terms of what we are still in ourselves.

But OH! do Tolkien's letters feed us with delight... and to read about his writing 

of the Hobbit and then Lord of the Rings.... 

We share a great love of his books....

***

So, now the mall shopping is done.

I got Mr Husband some gifts and got a few other gifts as well...

Tomorrow I have to decide if I am going to wrap presents, bake

or both.  .... Mr. Husband helped me fold the mountain of clean laundry

that always goes so much faster when two people tackle it!

I have more laundry clean and drying now (on drying racks) and tomorrow

I have one more load to do and then I will be caught up again,

so this is a relief also... 

It's astounding to me how quickly we can run out of things like

clean clothes, though the new things I bought for myself and Mr Husband will

help a bit in this regard... 

***

Well... tomorrow Mr Husband works from home

and I am so glad to have him home.

I am really hoping to get more done...

I am still waiting to confirm with my friend about NYC Thursday afternoon.

One thing and day at a time, right?

***

I pray that no matter what you are facing, 

that you are facing it with the comfort of God's mercy

that is ready to carry us...